Department of Water Resources
A daily compilation of significant news articles and comment
March 12, 2008
5. Agencies, Programs, People
FLOOD ISSUES:
QUARTZ HILL - Residents of this community are no strangers to flooding when rain soaks the high desert; Basin accused of causing floods; Residents put blame on new housing - Antelope Valley Press
WATER POLICY:
Editorial:
Editorial: Bond proposal offers fresh start for water fix - San Jose
Happy together? -
IMPERIAL IRRIGATION DISTRICT ISSUES:
Editorial: Board must share in the blame - Imperial Irrigation District
Editorial: Dam disaster: 80 years later; The story is still being told -
NEW APPOINTMENT:
Water board member to head L.A. public works - Santa Clarita Signal
FLOOD ISSUES:
QUARTZ HILL - Residents of this community are no strangers to flooding when rain soaks the high desert.
Basin accused of causing floods; Residents put blame on new housing
Antelope Valley
By James Rufus Koren, staff writer
But Joe and Becky Barreras said water that flooded their backyard and swimming pool last month didn't fall from the sky - it came from a nearby retention basin.
"The damage here was from water being released," Joe Barreras said Monday. "The water isn't being managed very well."
The flooding of the Barreras'
The Barreras' backyard is just about 50 feet from a culvert that empties a retention basin behind the Portafino Estates development - part of
When the basin fills to a certain level, it drains by spilling over into the culvert. Water then goes past the Barreras' home and other residences along a natural drainage ditch.
Joe Barreras, who moved into the
"The property owners down through there seem to have a different memory of that," he said. The retention basin is more than large enough to accommodate runoff from
The problem seems to be that once water from the basin leaves the culvert, it goes into a small, dirt creek bed that easily can overflow its shallow banks.
Adding to the problem, Williams said, is that with water from tract house lawn runoff flowing through the creek year-round - not just during the rainy season - vegetation has started to grow, making it more difficult for water to flow through.
"That has the force and effect of retaining and pooling that water," he said.
Ideally, said Mark Caddick, north county engineer for the county public works department, the creek bed would be developed into a permanent drainage canal or storm drain.
But neither the city or county are willing to pay for it.
"Both Palmdale and Lancaster feel we have spent millions each trying to correct this problem," Williams said. "I hate to sound unkind, but we haven't seen similar contributions from the county for those purposes. For
The county, Williams said, won't make improvements because Quartz Hill voters haven't approved tax hikes to pay for them.
"The county's big issue is they don't want to maintain anything built through Quartz Hill unless residents join an assessment district," Williams said.
Caddick said county officials inspected the area around the Barreras' home last week to see if anything could be done to improve water flow in the existing creek. Officials will study their data and make recommendations.
He added that the county has been looking for a solution to residential flooding along that corridor, but money has been a stumbling block.
"Several proposals have gone forth, and each has been rejected," he said. "The ultimate solution is something that can be achievable and that would involved a drainage system that would be continuous through the Quartz Hill area. That, honestly, is the long-term solution."
Quartz Hill resident have voted down various measures that would have levied new taxes to build and maintain a storm drain system. Critics said they shouldn't have to pay to correct something that wasn't their fault.
In the meantime, Joe and Becky Barreras said they will take legal action if neither the county or city take some kind of responsibility for what they say is more than $20,000 in flood damage to their backyard.
"If they don't do anything, I'll get an attorney," Becky Barreras said. "That's my next step." #
http://www.avpress.com/n/11/0311_s1.hts
WATER POLICY:
Editorial:
Desert Sun – 3/12/08
Sen. Dianne Feinstein is right to be concerned about the future of
It is a shame that state Democratic leaders are holding off meeting with the governor on water, prompting a well-deserved rebuke from our senior senator.
We realize that
What's more, the California Chamber of Commerce is considering placement of an initiative on the November ballot that would create nearly $12 billion for water projects throughout the state.
A good number of Democrats are against the initiative because it would expand water storage that could flood areas and negatively impact the environment. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger favors increasing reservoirs and canals.
Feinstein also tends to favor more water storage. Democrats, in general, would like to see more conservation, instead of storage. Lawmakers must come together and find a workable plan. Schwarzenegger called on Feinstein to help get Democrats to the table because he feels
The governor is likely right, and Feinstein acted appropriately in a letter last week to Democratic leaders, in which she criticized them for not acting in the spirit of moving issues forward. She had said she was disappointed to learn her party's leadership has refused to negotiate with Schwarzenegger and legislative Republicans.
Lawmakers had been scheduled to meet several times over a two-week period and cancelled. One meeting that was held on March 4 was not attended by any Senate Democrat.
This is outrageous. While we certainly can understand that our representatives are busy people and occasionally have scheduling conflicts, we also believe that when future water policy is on the agenda, elected officials should make the time.
The one Democrat who attended the March 4 meeting was Assemblywoman Lois Wolk, D-Davis, who has expertise on water issues. But Feinstein complained that Wolk did not have authority to negotiate.
Wolk was sent to the meeting by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, D-
And this is after the governor had his staff send an e-mail to Nuñez and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, alerting them to send representatives to negotiate a water bond.
Time is of the essence.
Voters elect their representatives to be present and find solutions. To do that, they have to attend meetings and move important issues forward. #
http://www.mydesert.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080312/OPINION01/803120310/1026/news12
Editorial: Bond proposal offers fresh start for water fix
So it's good to see Sen. Mike Machado, D-Stockton, trying to rekindle interest by offering a $6.8 billion bond proposal. Although sketchy, the bill represents a fresh starting point for bipartisan discussion on how to meet long-term needs.
Machado is a key lawmaker on water because his district includes much of the ecologically troubled Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, which supplies water to 25 million Californians. Sen. Dave Cogdill, R-Fresno, the leader-elect of Senate Republicans, has pledged to work with him. Cogdill's district includes
The challenge is bridging a longstanding partisan divide: Republicans favor building dams and other major infrastructure, while Democrats focus on conservation and environmental safeguards. Machado includes ideas from both sides, including stepped-up delta protections, new water storage and the governor's new goal of reducing per capita water use 20 percent by 2020.
Water solutions will be tough to tackle in the midst of a huge budget deficit. But it's good policy-makers are at least trying to restart the dialogue. #
http://www.mercurynews.com//ci_8542736?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com
Happy together?
Posted by Michael Gardner, staff writer
A Senate committee review of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's clarified water goals produced signs of progress Tuesday, with even the farm giant Westlands Water District and environmentalists agreeing that it offers a fresh path.
The concise, four-page outline proposes reducing water use by 20 percent by 2020 -- certainly an appetizer for environmentalists who have said for years that conservation should be a statewide priority. They are disappointed, however, that the governor's plan singles out urban use and appears to give farmers a pass.
Large water agencies also have embraced the governor's directive that state water officials finish the environmental studies for potential new reservoirs and a north-to-south water conveyance by 2010. The governor's agenda does not identify a favorite dam or type of canal.
The outcome is of consequence to the
The civil and welcoming tone of the Senate panel was a sharp turn from a hearing before the same committee late last month when Democrats, particularly, grew testy over revelations that the governor was considering an end run around the Legislature by issuing an executive order to push ahead with a canal, even though voters in 1982 had rejected one such proposal and it remains somewhat of a wedge issue even today. #
http://weblog.signonsandiego.com/news/breaking/ut_polblog/index.html
IMPERIAL IRRIGATION DISTRICT ISSUES:
Editorial: Board must share in the blame
Imperial Irrigation District – 3/12/08
Bonnie Garcia’s recent interest in the Imperial Irrigation District should be a lesson to the Board of Directors. We hope now it will pay attention to how it is perceived. What other people think does matter.
Garcia had shown little concern with the IID during her tenure in the state Assembly. That changed when the IID board became a divided, bickering panel that could not get anything much accomplished. And when directors do get things accomplished, it is usually with a split vote that comes after much divisive debate.
So now that Garcia is in effect calling the board dysfunctional and wants the
We have often cited board infighting and micromanagement as a problem, and it is apparent we are not the only one’s paying attention. >From the hedging fiasco to the highly questionable process followed for hiring a still-officially unnamed energy manager, the IID board has made quite a target for ridicule out of itself.
There is a greater danger in doing that than the local newspaper calling you out. There is the danger that state officials will notice and start to take interest in your actions. We all know the value of water in our region and state, so it should come as no surprise to anyone that state officials care about who is protecting that water and how they are doing that all important job.
It is apparent to us that Garcia does not understand the intricacies of local power or water issues. And that is what makes her sudden interest — near the end of her tenure in the Assembly — not only perplexing but also dangerous. The
So the IID board needs to put a stop to the ongoing sniping and find some common ground. This issue has apparently brought the directors together, and we believe they must stay a united front in the face of any external assault. There has been no clearer signal in recent memory that the district needs to gets its operation running smoothly than this move by Garcia. #
http://www.ivpressonline.com/articles/2008/03/12/our_opinion/ed02_03-12-08.txt
Editorial: Dam disaster: 80 years later; The story is still being told
Today marks the 80th year since the 200-foot-high St. Francis Dam collapsed at 11:57 p.m., unleashing 12.5 billion gallons of water, killing hundreds in its path, and wiping out 1,200 homes and 10 bridges in its 54-mile rush to the sea.
Amazingly, eight decades later, we are still learning about the second-most-lethal disaster in
Many of those who died literally did not know what hit them, as the dam was built quickly, with little public notice, in the remote San Francisquito Canyon, about five miles northeast of the Magic Mountain theme park. Studies and preliminary designs were completed in 1923 and the dam was completed in 1926.
As the disaster is commemorated, seemingly at five-year intervals, more are learning about it. Interest is always high, as evidenced by the sold-out tour of the site Sunday, given by disaster historian Frank Rock, through the Santa Clarita Historical Society.
Several books have been published on the disaster and
John Nichols, of
This interest has spurred memorials, which help to correct the historical oversight of this important event in our state history. Ten years ago, the Santa Paula Historical Society commissioned a forged steel sculpture from
The following year, the Santa Paula Historical Society dedicated a boulder monument at
The society's St. Francis Dam Memorial Project encourages other communities that were in the path of the water to commemorate the event.
We hope this latest anniversary spurs more memorials and exhibits. With each anniversary, there are fewer survivors who can give their firsthand accounts. This renewed attention is an opportunity for more of their amazing stories to be captured and added to the historical record.
This region grew from the spoils of the California Water Wars that began at the turn of the 20th century. William Mulholland, chief engineer of the Bureau of Water Works and Supply, directed the building of the 233-mile-long Los Angeles Aqueduct, from 1905 to 1913, and wanted the St. Francis Dam to be built to provide a reserve supply of water for thirsty
How the dam was built with inferior concrete on an ancient landslide is still being investigated and Mr. Mulholland's culpability in the collapse is still debated.
Beyond debate is the scope of the tragedy, the heroism exhibited and the importance of remembering the disaster.
Museum exhibit
The St. Francis Dam Disaster exhibit will open Sunday, from 1 to 3 p.m., at
http://www.venturacountystar.com/news/2008/mar/12/dam-disaster-80-years-later/
NEW APPOINTMENT:
Water board member to head
Santa Clarita Signal – 3/12/08
By Jim Holt, staff writer
Castaic Lake Water Agency board member Dean F. Efstathiou has been appointed Acting Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Works.
Efstathiou, who is often the lone critical voice on water issues raised by the agency, received the unanimous endorsement of supervisors at Tuesday's regular meeting of the
Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich made the announcement Tuesday.
"With a proven track record and 37 years of public service, Dean is a knowledgeable and capable leader, who will work effectively with our communities," Antonovich said in a statement. "In October 2007, at my request, Dean oversaw the fast-tracked reconstruction of the
Efstathiou, a resident of
As Acting Director of Public Works, Efstathiou also wears the hats of Acting Road Commissioner, Acting County Surveyor and Acting Chief Engineer of the Flood Control District.
"That's a prestigious position," said Dan Masnada, general manager of the Castaic Lake Water Agency. "We're lucky to have him on the board representing the county."
With water agency meetings scheduled for three nights this week, including a general meeting Wednesday, Efstathiou's schedule is a tireless one. His term as an agency board member expires in 2011.
Those attending tonight's meeting are expected to hear reports from Masnada, as well as a president's report and director's report. #
http://newmedia.the-signal.com/news/article/763/
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